Below Zero
by melonsarecool
Summary: -ONESHOT- What may look like a terrible day could just turn out to be an eventful one.


**A/N:** Hey, ya'll. The MaC is back. I haven't logged onto this site since middle school, which was like what? 6 YEARS AGO?! I know, time flies by so fast. I was playing Kingdom Hearts the other day and I suddenly remembered the mess I made in 2010 (for those of you who don't know, I am talking about my first fanfic. DO NOT READ IT PLEASE. IT IS A DISGRACE).

So, here I am, in the flesh. HAHAHA. Yeah, I was debating whether or not to write another fic to make myself feel better about the other one. One where the grammar actually made sense. (-_-)

A one-shot experiment. Enjoy, folks.

* * *

 _Namine's POV_

It was a normal December day in Traverse Town. Streets hidden in the white snow and little children dressed in earmuffs and a winter coat building enormous snowmen with their parents. Tomorrow is the big day, Christmas Eve, and as usual, everybody is last minute Christmas shopping. It was simply just a good day.

Well, it would have been a good day, if only I was informed by my annoying boss that I didn't have to drag myself a mile and a half in the freezing cold to come to work. Apparently, the heavy snow that prevented people with cars from even leaving their own household also prevented me from having an extra hour or two of sleep. Yes. It was 7:30 in the morning, 28 degrees outside, and here I am, in front of a an art store that is closed for the day with nothing but three layers of thin clothing underneath a big, white winter coat and a sad heart.

I mentally cursed to myself and sighed. Larxene could have sent a text an hour before my shift normally starts. She always does this. I groan as I turn around and walk back to my house, seeking the comfort of my warm bed and Mr. Snuggles, my fluffy teddy bear.

 _Ring! Ring! Ring!_

I reluctantly take off my pink fuzzy gloves and reach for my phone in my right pocket.

"Hey, honey!" a cheery voice greets me. How does she have this amount of energy this early in the morning?

"Hey, mom. What is it?"

"I am going to head out for the day and I probably won't be back until late at night. Apparently, your uncle and aunt decided to surprise us by coming to town to celebrate Christmas with us!"

"Oh, how fun," I smile. "I haven't seen them in forever!"

"Yeah, I know. It sounded great until they realized they needed a ride _after_ they landed in Traverse Town and didn't want to pay for a taxicab to get here. So, guess who got stuck with the job?"

"Well, the airports _only_ 2 hours away," I add, sarcastically. "Anyway, are you grabbing something to eat after you see them or something? Why aren't you coming home until late?"

"Yup, you know how stubborn they are. They refused to eat anything on the 13-hour flight because – what was it? It was just ' _not worth the money_.' Haha, I swear. Those two will be the end of me, but don't worry! They won't hesitate to purchase an expensive gift for their precious little niece!"

"Haha. Okay, mom. Drive safely! Tell them I said hi when you get the chance."

"I will! Bye, sweetie!" I stuff my phone back into my pocket and continue to walk down the path. A few minutes pass by as I start to imagine all the things I can do when I get home.

It's okay, Namine! You're almost there. A hot shower will do the trick. Oh, and lying in your warm, comfty bed with Mr. Snuggles while you fall asleep to whatever chick flick you find on Netflix. Yeah, that's right. And you'll have the whole house to yourse- Oh no. I stop in my tracks.

"Oh, god. Can this day get any worse?" I asked, knowing I won't get a reply.

Not only did I lose sleep, but also I forgot the fact that Sora, my best friend's boyfriend, lost my house keys when he "borrowed" it to steal Mr. Snuggles as revenge for "hogging Kairi." And I just happen to not have the the time to make a spare and with mom out of the house, how will I even get into the house? Mental note: Kill Sora, drag his sorry butt to an abandoned cemetery, and bury his body in a ditch. Then, Kairi will be mine. All mine. Muahahahaha. Without realizing it, a heavy sigh escapes from me. For now, I'll just have to spend the whole day outside. I turned around the corner until a body slams into me, sending me flying and onto the floor.

Wow, okay. It's official. Today is now marked as the worst day of my life. I sit up, groaning and holding onto my head ready to apologize.

"Watch where you're going next time!" a deep voice rings into my ear. I look up at the figure standing over me. It was a boy with gold, spiky hair, holding a skateboard. He was wearing a checkered snow coat that ended slightly above his waist with a black shirt underneath. His eyes. Oh, were they so blue, like the ocean. Man, was this my type of guy. If only, he kept his mouth shut.

"Sorry?" I start. The nerve of this guy. "Okay, loo-"

"Apology accepted." He grinned. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Oh, no. Look here, blondie," I stand up, blocking his path and wiping off the snow on my clothes. "I can guarantee you that this," I gestured at the space between us, "is NOT my fault. I mean, who in their right mind skateboards when there is at least THREE feet of snow on the ground?" He grins.

"Okay. First of all, 'blondie' isn't really a good comeback, don't you think?" he starts and I glare at him. "I mean, you are literally insulting yourself right now. But hey, who am I to judge? If you want to put yourself down, I'd be happy to watch." He laughs. "Secondly, I was skateboarding perfectly fine until YOU bumped into me."

"WOW. Okay, look here blond-" I start, but stop after I could finish the word reminded of what he just said. He waits for me to finish with that cocky smirk of his.

"I thought so. Now, off you go." He shoos me away and turns around to leave. I watch him as he disappears around the corner and groan. Let it go, Namine. He is not worth your time. I stand there trying to calm myself down before grabbing my phone to look at the time. 8:23. As if on cue, the phone rings with Kairi's name on the screen.

"Hey, Nami!"

"Hey, Kai. You won't believe how horrible my day has been." I begin.

"Whaaat? Girl, it's only like 8 in the morning. Anyway, Sora and I are going to the struggle match later today. You want to come with?" the redhead asks.

"Sure, it's not like I have anything better to do."

"Atta, girl! I admit, I did question our friendship the past couple of days after you said no to going to the movies last week, but this moment is really opening up my eyes, you know?" Kairi says. I laugh.

"Okay, the only reason I said no to movies was because I didn't want to witness you and Sora lip locking for an hour and a half." I ignore the Kairi's _hey!_ as I continue, "Third-wheeling is personally not a favorite hobby of mine. Never was and never will be."

"Fine, that is understandable. Can't blame you. I mean, I wouldn't want to watch you making out with anybody either. That just screams awkward. Oh, which reminds me. Sora's cousin is coming with if you don't mind."

"Cousin?" I asked. He never mentioned anything about a cousin before. "What cousin?"

"The one he has been talking about since last month? Remember, he told us that his cousin moved from Twilight Town a few weeks ago."

"Oh, haha right," I said nervously. "That cousin."

"Wow, Nami. If you'd stop drawing in your perfect little sketchbook of yours and listened, maybe you'd recall."

"What?! Psh. I listen. To you. Not Sora."

"It's alright. To be honest, I sometimes zone out on him too. Anyway, I already met his cousin. He's pretty chill. You'd like him. He's got the same sense of humor as you AND he's in the same grade as us."

"Oh?" I ask. Kairi squeals. "What?"

"Oh nothing, just imagining you two as a couple. That'd be really cute, but really weird. So, if Sora and I get married and you get married to his cousin, would the two of us be related? Hmm... I don't think so." I roll my eyes.

"Gee, Kai. I barely know the guy and you're already talking marriage? That's amazing, but if you don't mind, I'd like to meet him before you start fantasizing about our babies before I can."

"Whoops. Haha. So, the struggle match is at 11, but come at 10 because we want good seats to watch the game. Just call us when you get there."

"Mmhmm. See ya there." I look back at my phone. 8:35. Great. What am I going to do until then? I look around until a building catches my eye. _Belle's Diner._ I am hungry… Trying to ignore the cold air as I rush past, I ran towards the building and push through the doors of the diner. A bell chimes as I look around the café. It was a small café, but cozy. The walls looks old, painted with a baby blue color and the chairs white. There was only an elderly couple sitting at a booth in the right corner, a couple in their mid-20s in the middle, and a family of four on the right by the window. I walk towards a bar stool near the waiter and grab a menu.

"Welcome! How can I help… you…? Oh my god, are you following me now?" I look up from menu and am greeted by the very same smirk I saw 20 minutes ago. " I know. I know. My looks can kill, but I don't feel comfortable with the fact that I have a stalker behind my tail. Well, the idea does somewhat give me pleasure. What can I say? I'm irresistible." He grins.

"Shoot me now." I say, burying my face into my hands.

"Gladly."

"Look," my eyes go towards the nametag pinned onto his shirt. "Roxas, can you just take my order?"

"Only, if you say please."

I send dagger glares at him.

"Okay, what would you like to order?" He says taking out a notepad from his pocket and a pen behind his ear. I open my mouth to order, but a loud yell behind me causes me to turn around.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" a girl with short, platinum black hair yells. It was the couple I saw just 2 minutes ago. The girl is yelling at the boy in front of her, which I assume is her boyfriend.

"Xion, calm down. It isn't what it looks like." Her boyfriend says. He nervously looks around and nods an apology at everyone around. I get a proper look at him. He is wearing a wrinkled white striped collar shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a blue tie. His blonde hair disheveled.

"CALM DOWN?! SEIFER, YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?!" her voice raises. She grabs the phone of the table and points to a picture on the screen. "WHO IS THIS?! IS THIS WHY YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HOME THESE PAST FEW DAYS?"

"She's no one. Just an assistant from work. Can we talk about this outside?" he guides the girl, who is almost on the verge of tears, outside the diner after leaving money on the table. They stop in front of the diner window where everyone can still see them. After long minutes of arguing, the boy pulls the sobbing girl into a hug and soothes her. I stifle a laugh and look back at my menu.

"What are you laughing at?" Roxas raises an eyebrow at me. I shake my head as I look back at the menu, trying to remember my order.

"Nothing." I try to hide a smile. "Just at the fact that the girl is totally being played."

"Really?" He says with an interested face. "And I suppose you know this by simply watching the scene that just unfolded? Please, enlighten me."

I sigh and continue.

"Well, his shirt isn't even button all the way and his tie is poorly done. Hair going in all different directions. If you ask me, then I think he just got back from an… eventful night with his assistant."

"His attire does not prove that he is cheating on her. For all we know, he could have just been running late and did not have time to properly clean himself up."

"True, but does that explain the lipstick mark on the collar? The situation is so obvious. Boss man and his assistant cozying it up on his office table while his poor girlfriend stays home leaving voicemails every hour. Typical. I can tell you this: they aren't going to last very long." I look up at Roxas, who has an amused look on his face.

"Wow. Perceptive, are we? Nice, I'll give you that." He chuckles.

"Gasp." I start and he raises an eyebrow. "Say it isn't so? Did I just witness the self-absorbed guy who throws compliments at himself every 5 minutes praise me? ME?" I say, feigning a scared expression. "Oh, lord. I am not worthy. Forgive my insolence." I give a slight bow.

"Oh, stop." He shoves my shoulders and I laugh. "Sorry, about- you know." He gestures outside.

"Apology accepted. I'm sorry too. I didn't look where I was going." I admit and I catch the sides of his lips raise up as well before he talks.

"Let's just forget the whole thing happened."

"Fine with me. Now, I'm starving." I look back at the menu in my hands and he gets ready to write down my order. "How about... sunny-side eggs with toast on the side and a hot espresso?"

"Coming right up." He finishes writing on his notepad as I return the menu and he leaves towards the kitchen. Maybe he isn't so bad after all. He did own up to his mistake. After a few minutes of drumming my fingers on the table and looking at the pictures of the owner hanging on the walls, I see Roxas coming with a cup of coffee in his hands. He hands me the coffee and I whisper a thank you. Eek. The warmth of the cup is slowly heating up my fingers, so I blow into the cup to cool down the coffee.

"So," the spiky blonde in front of me begins, "how's the weather?"

I smile at this and reply.

"That is such a generic conversation starter."

"Hey, hey. It just so happens to be very useful in some occasions," he chuckles.

"Whatever you say…" I shake my head, grinning ear to ear.

"Fine. I admit that it has failed me once or twice." He says defeatedly. "Anyway, th-"

He stops when his phone rings and holds up a finger, telling me to wait one minute. I nod as he picks up the call.

"Sora, leave me alone." My ears perk up. "I don't have time for your games."

He knows… Sora…? Wait. It's probably another Sora. I mean- it's a common name. I continue blowing my coffee while my eyes are still on the busboy standing a few feet away.

"Dude," He lets out a big sigh. "It isn't my fault you decided to spend your money on your Kairi's gift." I freeze. "I can't pay for your tickets. I can barely make it to the game on time. Why don't you just ask your girlfriend?" He stops momentarily to listen to Sora. After a few seconds, he sighs again and notices me staring. I immediately turn my head the other direction and sip my coffee. AH. It's still hot. "Sorry, dude. I barely have enough money as it is… Alright, bye."

The call ends and I sneak a peak at him only to find him staring back. He shrugs and continues.

"Cousins. What can you do?" I fake a smile and turn the other way.

He is the cousin Kairi desperately wants to set me up with? What a small world. My thoughts are interrupted by the vibration in my pocket and I grab my device to pick up the call.

"Hey, Nami! Can you do me a favor?" my red-headed friend asks. Why do I already know what it is? I glance back at Roxas, who is still looking my way.

"What is it?" I laugh nervously, hoping it isn't what I think it is.

"Sora and I don't have enough for the struggle tickets, so can you spot us?"

"HAHA. You're funny. You still owe me fifty for buying your boyfriend's Christmas gift." I replied.

"What? I told you that I'd pay you back."

"Yeah, last Christmas. It's been a whole year." I grinned. "You're just going to have to find some other way to pay for the tickets."

"Nami, this isn't really helping the whole friendship thing we have going on right now." She claims as I roll my eyes.

"Bye, Kai." I abruptly hang up the phone and see Roxas looking at me.

I shrug at him. "Friends. What can you do?"

"Wait. Kai as in Kairi?" he asks, walking towards me.

"Yup. You must be Sora's infamous cousin he has been talking nonstop about." He chuckles.

"And you must be Namine, Kairi's best friend who she keeps trying to set me up with." He smiles as I freeze. "What was it she said? ' _She keeps complaining about her non-existent love life. Oh, Roxas. You have to help the poor girl._ '"

I catch him laughing as I cover my face with my hand, refusing to make eye contact. My obvious hint of not wanting to persist this topic doesn't get through him as he continues in Kairi's voice.

"' _Please save her, Roxas. If not, help me. She is an earful.'_ "

I mentally curse at Kairi before I grab the napkin holder by my right and chuck it at him.

"Hey, her words. Not mine." He says, bringing his hands to his face trying to protect it. After a few laughs, he bends down to pick up the weapon and places it back on the table. "BUT, I wouldn't mind taking you out."

"Oh, please. I do not need a pity date." I say, stirring my coffee.

"I'm serious. You seem like a pretty cool girl to hang out with." He says with a grin and I look at him with a surprised face. "Fine. Fine. I admit I've been looking for someone to get Sora off my back. The boy keeps talking about Kairi like there is no tomorrow. My ears will honestly fall off if I have to listen to another comment mentioning how soft Kairi's hair is." It's my turn to smile.

"How does Friday sound?" Roxas asks hopefully.

I ponder for a while. Should I go for it? I mean- it can't hurt, right? It definitely beats watching _The Notebook_ for the seventh time and he does seem… somewhat tolerable. How bad could it be?

"Deal." I say with a smile.

I guess the day's not looking so bad after all.

"Thank god." My attention is back on him and I raise a brow as he proudly continues, "What would I ever do if someone as desperate as Kairi claims you to be said no to a handsome face like this?"

I immediately grab the napkin holder again and throw it at his face.

"Where is my breakfast, diner boy?" I said, grinning as he leaves back into the kitchen with a slight wave.

"Coming right up, blondie."

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 **A/N:** Wow, congratulations reader! You made it to the very end! *claps*  PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is very welcomed. Thank you!


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